Kamaboko
by PaulaGay
Summary: AU. Tetsuhiro was ten years old the first time he both heard of the Mer and saw one. What happens when, years later, they meet again? This story is very loosely based on "The Little Mermaid," Hans Christian Anderson's...not Disney's . :)
1. Chapter 1

**Title: Kamaboko**

**Rating: Mature**

**Disclaimer: I wish the boys were mine, but they're not! I borrowed the characters from the incomparable Takanaga-sensei.**

**Warning: AU Fantasy based very loosely on Hans Christian Anderson's "The Little Mermaid."**

**Note: This is my first time trying my hand at a fantasy, so bear with me. :D**

* * *

**Chapter 1**

Green eyes looked out at the vast ocean with excitement. It was the first time in his life that Tetsuhiro had traveled by ship and the ten year old was more than transfixed by it. The way the sailors worked together to keep the ship steered properly and the sheer physicality of it all had him watching raptly. His fascination did not go unnoticed. One of the older deckhands chuckled as he walked over to the boy.

"Where be yer pa, boy?" he asked with a knowing smirk.

"He's down below. I don't think he likes the water," he answered with a small apologetic smile.

The old man laughed at that, "Yeah, figured as much. Not all men c'n handle tha waves. Ye got the makin's of a real seaman, ye do."

Tetsuhiro grinned and sat down next to the man when he gestured for him to join him. The seaman was ancient to the young boy's eyes. He was gnarled and wrinkled by too much time in the sun. His once brown hair was turning gray and when he walked, it was with a limp. He thoroughly captivated the boy's romantic spirit.

As they sat together the man told stories of the sea in between showing Tetsuhiro different knots and explaining their uses on board. The brunette boy asked intelligent questions and listened wholeheartedly to stories of storms weathered and pirates vanquished. Toward the end of their afternoon together, the old man wound up his stories with one he'd been saving for a while.

"Have ye ever heard tell of the Mer?" he asked with a twinkle in his eye. When Tetsuhiro shook his head he continued, "Well boy, they're the rulers of the ocean." He went on to tell wild tales of the Mer's kingdom at the bottom of the deep sea; how they lived in caves and rode seahorses. Tetsuhiro loved the stories but of course didn't actually believe them. They were myths to fill the time and the old man was a wonderful storyteller. He finished with, "An' the Mer always know when we worthless humans encroach on their territory. Whenever a young one, like you is lost at sea a member of their tribe is there to take them down to their kingdom to become one of their number."

That got Tetsuhiro's attention, "You mean they kidnap children?" he asked, nervous in spite of his doubts.

"No laddie, they save 'em. Otherwise they would drown."

* * *

A few days later, Tetsuhiro woke to lowering skies and flashes of lightening. His father told him the Captain wanted all civilians to stay in their cabins until the storm blew over. The boy was disappointed, he hated being cooped up, but he understood that he would only be in the way on deck.

As the morning wore on the sea became a mass of rolling waves, tossing the ship around mercilessly. Tetsuhiro's father collapsed onto his bed with the chamber pot next to him, 'just in case.' The boy understood and wanted to be no where near his retching father. The sounds made him very squeamish.

He played quietly until he realized his father had finally fallen asleep. Seeing this as a good time to sneak out for a while and get some fresh air, the boy quietly worked his way up and forward in order to see what was happening on deck. His eyes widened in shock when he finally saw what was going on.

It looked like the end of the world had arrived; and for them it might actually be the case. The ship was still being tossed around like a toy in some evil giant's hand. The sea was boiling within the storm, with waves that crested even higher than the ship's deck. The deck hands had secured themselves to the ship with rope and worked to keep the vessel upright. It was insane and the boy watched in fascinated horror; mouth hanging open.

He couldn't hear what the men were shouting to each other, the storm was too loud for that; but he could guess by their gestures. There seemed to be something wrong on the starboard side. He leaned out of his hidey-hole and saw smoke. He frowned, not understanding the implications and moved carefully outside to get a better look. Just as he realized what exactly was wrong, he was spotted and the deck hand that had become something of a mentor to him rushed over and yanked him below decks once more.

The man grabbed him by his shoulders and yelled over the sounds of the storm, "Boy, whare's ya Da?"

"In our cabin. He's been sick and is napping."

"Go git 'im. Lightening jest hit the ship and she's goin' down. We need to abandon 'er," he shook Tetsuhiro's shoulders to emphasize the seriousness of what was happening. The boy nodded and took off for their room to wake his father. He made it back in record time and started shaking him awake.

"Papa! Wake up!" he yelled in his father's face. The poor man cracked his eyes open blearily and looked at his son.

"What's happening Tetsu?" he asked in confusion.

"We have to leave! The ship was struck by lightening and is burning. I was told we had to get on deck to board the lifeboats." His father's eyes widened and he quickly stood up, only to stagger a bit as he and his son headed for the door. They managed to make it back up on deck, even with the ship beginning to list as it was tossed pitilessly in the storm.

When one of the deckhands saw them they were ushered to the side and helped down into one of the small lifeboats. It was the two of them and two seamen; one was Tetsuhiro's elderly friend. The ocean was choppy as they moved away from the doomed ship; lightening flashing and rain drilling down onto them. Tetsuhiro had no idea how they'd stay afloat as the small boat kept getting swamped by the waves. Neither did the grown men, although they weren't about to vocalize their fears in front of the boy.

After that everything happened so fast, Tetsuhiro couldn't keep up. Loud thunder boomed and there was a crack of violent lightening; the little boat practically launched itself into the air and the screaming began. Tetsuhiro was suddenly submerged in the water and right before he passed out, he realized that the one screaming had been him.

* * *

Tetsuhiro had no idea how long he'd been unconscious when he finally came to. He was still in the water, draped over a piece of what was left of the lifeboat, and completely alone. He raised his head to look around and all he could see was more water. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and then opened them wide as he looked around. He was completely alone and adrift in the ocean with no land in sight. He began to whimper but then he shook his head, 'No! I'm a big boy now...I can't cry. I won't.' Then he continued thinking, 'I hope Papa is alright. I **have **to get back to him...to home. I **won't **give up!' His eyes grew determined as he looked around once more and picked a direction to head towards.

He had no clue how long he'd been paddling when he saw birds circling overhead. He remembered reading that a large group of birds flying like that meant that land was nearby so he headed towards them. They were further away than they looked and he became tired long before he got close enough to see what they were agitated about. As he rested across the part of boat he clung to, he watched up ahead. The birds would swoop down and then fly back up above the water. At first he had believed they were catching fish but as he watched he realized they had nothing in their mouths when they flew out away from the water. His curiosity spiked, he found the energy to begin paddling towards his goal again.

As he slowly drew closer Tetsuhiro began to scan the water and he saw what at first looked like...a big fish. 'Those birds have delusions of grandeur if they think they'll catch that!' he thought to himself in somewhat delirious amusement. He wondered if he was hallucinating at first. He drew even closer and he cleared his sight enough from the water spray to see...hair. The 'fish' seemed to have hair; blonde hair, no less. The 'fish' was wildly waving its arms at the birds and leaping around in the water as if to scare them off. By that point Tetsuhiro knew he was seeing things but it was amusing and he had nothing better to do, so he continued to approach the vision in the water.

The vision yelled agitatedly and his voice was that of a male albeit a young one. He spoke in a language Tetsuhiro couldn't understand; although he could tell that the boy was angry at the birds. As Tetsuhiro approached the other male suddenly tuned around with an extreme look of stunned disbelief. He asked the brunette boy a question.

"I'm sorry, I don't understand you," Tetsuhiro responded pleasantly as he gazed at his supposed delusion. The other boy tilted his head and looked supremely irritated at Tetsuhiro, then he looked around trying to decide where the brunette had come from.

"The ship I was on sank in the storm yesterday...at least I think it was yesterday," he continued conversationally. "I don't have any idea where I am and I should really find land now. You wouldn't by any chance be able to point me in the right direction, would you?"

The blonde's look softened as he realized that the other boy was on his last leg; completely exhausted. He swam over and touched Tetsuhiro's sleeve. "This is the realist hallucination ever," the spent boy said as he began to slide off his bit of wood and into the water. As he passed out he felt strong arms wrap around him and heard that mysterious dialect murmur in his ear. The voice was still a bit irritated but also soothing and reassuring; and somehow he knew he'd be alright.

* * *

When Tetsuhiro woke again, he was lying face down in wet sand with water lapping around his legs. He dragged himself into a sitting position and looked around. A little way away in the slightly deeper water sat his savior. When the brunette finally got a good look at him he really couldn't believe his eyes. The blonde was...beautiful. He had long blonde hair and a finely boned face with high cheekbones and amber eyes that reflected the sun and looked glowing in its setting rays. Tetsuhiro stood up and moved toward the other boy.

"Did you save me?" he asked. The other one just shrugged and then slowly nodded. "Thank you so much!" Tetsuhiro smiled. "I can't even begin to tell you how grateful I am!"

The blonde blushed slightly and nodded again, quickly looking away.

"Um, where am I?" Tetsuhiro asked while looking around. "Can you tell me?"

The other boy looked a bit discombobulated by the question but before he could answer he heard voices and knew the brunette was about to be found. He also knew he couldn't let himself be seen by the humans so he shook his head and turned to swim back out to sea. He had to hurry or his family would worry. It wouldn't do to be late for dinner. He quickly swam out a ways and turned back once to wave at the brunette boy he had helped. Said boy had a look of shock on his face as he slowly raised his hand to wave back.

'I can't believe it,' Tetsuhiro thought to himself as the Mer disappeared and the villagers approached him. 'They really do exist.'

* * *

**A/N: There you go with Chapter 1! It's just a short one to set the scene for what's going to happen later.:) I also have to say the title was difficult to come up with and my rather bad sense of humor took over. I do like a good pun! Til next time!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 2**

**Twelve years later**

The city was bustling as Tetsuhiro gazed out the window in the direction of the wharf. Since the disastrous trip that had claimed his father's life when he was ten, he had been drawn to the sea; as a moth to a flame. He had a healthy respect for the ocean and knew better than to underestimate it. He also had a secret. Well, it was sort of a secret.

When he was rescued he was babbling about meeting a Mer. He had been in the water for four days and was both malnourished and dehydrated so no one thought twice about his delusion. They all felt that if that was what had helped him survive then so be it. He finally quieted down about it and began to actually believe that he'd hallucinated the whole thing. That was until a little over a year ago.

Last year he'd been on a fishing trip off the coast of Japan, where he and his family were living, and he'd made a discovery. It had led to the re-emergence of his belief that the Mer actually existed. They didn't call themselves that...that was the human name for their race. He began a thorough study (in secret, of course) of all the myths he could find on the ocean dwelling beings. In this he had a partner in crime. The man was brilliant and over the past year he had made himself more than useful as an assistant in both Tetsuhiro's business as well as his hobby.

He thought back to his first ocean voyage. He and his father were headed to Japan to join the rest of his family. They were relocating back to his parent's home country and he'd been excited to see it. He and his brother, Kunihiro, had both been born and raised in a small coastal village near Marseille and spoke both French and Japanese fluently. They had never been to their country of origin and saw the whole experience as an adventure. Since Kunihiro was the older of the two, he accompanied their mother in order to help her set up their new home; while Tetsuhiro and their father were to follow once the elder Morinaga had wound up the last of his business.

That trip had been a disaster; the storm blowing up out of nowhere. His father hadn't made it, his body never recovered; and Tetsuhiro had only barely survived. The boy's mother decided they would stay in their new home and five years later, she'd remarried. Once Kunihiro reached his majority, he decided to travel to America with his closest friend, Masaki. From the letters Tetsuhiro received regularly, they were having a marvelous time while expanding the family import business. That had left him holding the fort in Japan. He didn't mind, it's where he felt the most comfortable.

The only downside to staying so near his mother was her incessant nagging that he settle down and start a family. He wasn't exactly sure **why**, but he knew deep down that having a wife and children wasn't in the cards for him. Two years ago it had finally gotten so difficult – his mother had actually begun setting up marriage meetings for him – that he'd gone to his stepfather in desperation and asked for his help.

The man had listened and agreed to talk to his wife. He had a sneaking suspicion he knew what the problem was and decided to help the boy out. He was a good and wise man and knew that some things couldn't be forced. He was also the one who had suggested that Kunihiro and Masaki emigrate to America and that had been a sound decision. Now it was the younger man's turn to find his way as well as find the partner that he could share his life with. Since then things had become much easier for the youngest Morinaga.

He was startled out of his reverie by a knock on the door. Finally! His assistant had arrived. He turned and smiled warmly as the door opened, "I'm glad you could finally make it, Kurokawa-san."

* * *

"Shit! Shit! Shit!" Isogai sighed as he heard the newest storm fast approaching in the form of the crown prince.

'Although I can't understand what the elders were thinking when they elected Sou-kun's father as the next King,' he sighed to himself. The Tatsumis weren't exactly **leadership** material. They had been great adviser's to the King, before the big idiot had gone and gotten himself killed; but leaders they weren't!

Isogai turned as Souichi swirled into his study. "Oi! Have you seen my younger brother?" he fumed at the older blonde.

The King's Chronicler laughed, "Did you know, **Your Highness**, that for a Ningyo, you make as much noise as a human?"

Souichi snarled, "Cut the crap Isogai! If you know where Tomoe has gotten off to, tell me!"

The scholar looked at Souichi carefully. As much of a pain in the fin as the blonde could be (and as much fun as he was to rile), he had a genuine love for his family and Isogai could tell he was worried. He sighed and answered him seriously, "He came to me last week with an idea to go find the true King and bring him back. I tried to discourage him from going, but you know what he's like."

Souichi glared at no one in particular, "I knew he was up to something! When he stopped talking about that loser Kurokawa, and seemed to get his focus back, I had hoped he was over the idiot. I should have known better!" he finished while scrubbing his hands through his hair. He met Isogai's eyes, "Which way did he go?"

Isogai turned away...he was really not looking forward to this conversation. He asked, "How do you know he's gone missing anyway? I thought he was taking a trip to the Reef to gather supplies for another experiment?"

Souichi gritted out through clenched teeth, "We just received a message that he never arrived. What do you know?"

The older male nodded, "He was swimming off the shore of that small town above the sea and thought he saw Mitsugu. He said he appeared to be human now. He asked me if it was possible. I didn't know and said so, so he asked me who might and I told him the sea witch would have that knowledge." He looked into stormy amber eyes and continued, "I thought for certain he'd give up. You know how much she frightens him!"

Souichi thought very seriously about knocking the shit out of the man before him but he could understand where he was coming from. Tomoe was a very timid and gentle creature. Under normal circumstances he would never go within a hundred miles of the old hag. She terrified him. 'Of course these circumstances aren't normal,' he thought as Isogai echoed his statement aloud.

"I guess I should have known he'd pursue it," he sighed while shaking his head.

"I'm going to visit that old hag and find out the truth!" Souichi reached for the door but Isogai stopped him.

"Not without me you aren't!"

* * *

"I'm so sorry I'm late, Morinaga-kun. I had an emergency pop up," Mitsugu Kurokawa hurriedly stated as he quickly entered the room. He began to pace. "Do you have some time to spare to come to the workroom?" he asked as he stopped in front of his friend and employer.

Tetsuhiro moved forward quickly, "What happened?"

"I'll tell you on the way."

The two men mounted their saddled horses and took off for the warehouses near the wharf. Tetsuhiro's company owned several buildings down there and they were headed for the smallest. It was a building Morinaga had converted shortly after meeting Kurokawa. It had been redesigned in order to house their 'special' projects.

"I found a friend of mine near the water's edge last night. He wasn't in good shape so I brought him to the workroom," Kurokawa continued. "I wasn't sure what else to do...I'm sorry." The last was said so softly that the brunette almost didn't catch it.

"There's nothing to be sorry about, my friend. Let's hurry."

It didn't take long for the two men to arrive and enter the small building. The main room had been remodeled to accommodate a large pool in the center. The floor had been cut out and reinforced so the sea water was accessible from the inside. There were no windows in this part of the building so no one could see in. On one side of the room was a seating area with both comfortable chairs and a desk set up. There were several gas lanterns as well as candles dotted around for light. On the other side was a sleeping area. This was where they headed. The bed was occupied by a very young looking man. He had a soft, almost feminine face...probably due to his youth, and chestnut hair.

Tetsuhiro noticed the look of devotion on the older man's face. "Who is he to you?" he asked softly and simply, looking at his friend with curiosity.

"He's my fiancee," was his answer.

"Wha-" Tetsuhiro stuttered with his eyes widening.

"Where I come from it is acceptable," Kurokawa continued. "We were to be married in another year when he's twenty. He must have been desperate to try this." He looked down at the younger man with an expression of concerned affection on his face.

"Is it alright for him to be out of the water?" the younger man asked. Mitsugu just pulled the blanket back showing the boy's pajama-clad lower body. "So he has...legs," it came out as almost a question.

"I don't know how he did it, but yes."

"I guess we'll just have to wait and see what kind of condition he's in when he awakens," Tetsuhiro patted his assistant on the shoulder in a comforting way.

* * *

"Damn it! I don't know who I'm gonna kill first; that hag or Tomoe!" Souichi said for the fifth time as the two males swam towards the sea witch's cave.

"Hopefully neither one," Isogai said dryly. "We need to find out what happened first, Sou-kun; you know that." The irate blonde just waved him off as he continued, "Once we know, then we'll decide what to do."

"I wonder if she had anything to do with Kurokawa's disappearance," Souichi continued quietly after thinking over what the older male had said.

Isogai frowned as he thought it over. "I doubt it. Mitsugu was checking out a fishing vessel when he disappeared. He was nowhere near her lair."

"Leave it to that idiot to get caught!" Souichi huffed out, irritated all over again.

"Hm," the other male had to agree. Kurokawa was a friend...a good one, but he was a bit of an idiot sometimes. He could be too naïve for words.

The two swam in a rather companionable silence, both lost in their own thoughts until their surroundings began to register in their minds. They had been traveling due North from the palace and the lushly beautiful scenery had gradually diminished and given way to darkness. Normally even the darkness that surrounded the sea witch's cavern held a certain beauty; but not today.

Today the area was inundated with an eerie inky darkness that gradually surrounded the two males. They stared into the blackness swirling in front of them and then caught each other's eyes briefly before once again heading forward; this time even more cautiously. No words were necessary, they understood their danger, but they had to know what had occurred...and neither male was a coward.

As they approached the mouth of the cave they saw...parts. Body parts. It looked like a massive battle had occurred and the witch had lost.

"What the fuck?" was all Souichi could say. Isogai darted in front of his charge in order to offer some protection to the younger man. Said younger man wasn't too impressed by the performance and moved away from the older blonde.

A flicker caught Isogai's eye and he moved forward to investigate as Souichi examined what was left of the witch. It wasn't pleasant but he needed to know what had decimated the creature.

By the time Souichi was finished, Isogai was gathering supplies. "It looks like a shark attack...what **DO **you **think** you're doing!?" he finished at a near shriek as he caught sight of the other male.

"What? She doesn't need it anymore," he said with a slight whine. "Besides," he continued in a normal voice, "this might help us determine what happened to Tomoe." Souichi continued to glare as he mulled over what the other had said. He could see the logic.

"Fine," he acquiesced reluctantly as he began to help with the gathering.

* * *

**A/N: Now the stage is set for the boys to finally meet up again. ^^**


	3. Chapter 3

**Finally... it's here, enjoy! ^^**

* * *

**Chapter 3**

"Damn it!" Souichi hissed as he tried to throw a large triton shell against the wall in his study. Of course it didn't go very far and ended up landing softly on the floor. The one thing Souichi couldn't stand about living underwater was that there was no way to have a physical temper tantrum. He could yell and swim off if angry but he couldn't successfully physically vent his frustration. He huffed and settled at his desk. 'Tomoe what were you thinking!? You had to know that running after that idiot you think you love was a futile effort,' he thought to himself. 'I never thought much of your choice of mate but he's so much better than any **human**. And that guy you saw **was** human, not one of us...even if he looked like Kurokawa.' He began to swim back and forth across the length of his study in agitation. He needed to bring his little brother home. He couldn't lose another family member to the humans.

An hour or so later, Isogai found the prince still fuming in his office. As he peeked inside he wracked his brain in order to find the right way to explain to Souichi what had happened. He guessed that it wasn't going to be easy. He sighed and then donned a mischievous expression before he knocked on the door.

"Your Highness, I have news," he chirped as he swam in and got ready to duck or dodge. Fortunately he didn't need to do either as Souichi only glared and gestured for him to continue. "I found the sea witch's notes and Tomo-chan did go to speak to her. She offered to turn him human in order for him to speak to Kurokawa and try to bring him back." He paused when he heard Souichi growl. Isogai knew he wouldn't like this.

"What was that little idiot thinking!?" the blonde prince stormed, swimming agitatedly before finally settling in a defeated manner at his desk. "Why?" Isogai hadn't heard that tone of voice before. He'd never heard Souichi sound so...broken.

"Now Sou-kun don't freak out too much," he hurriedly interjected. "Hope isn't all lost. When Kurokawa decides to come back the spell is broken and Tomo-chan will return to normal! That was the deal."

Souichi looked at him with half dead eyes, "How will that happen? Kurokawa is dead! The human fishing boat killed him and probably ate him. Just because there's a human that looks a bit like him means nothing!"

"What if you're wrong? What if he is alive and unable to return? Maybe Tomoe knew what he was doing."

"You're talking about **Tomoe** here! He's a smart kid but innocent, naïve. He'd believe just about anything!" Souichi was back to glaring again.

Isogai smiled reminiscently to himself, "Well, you're not wrong there. He can be incredibly cute." He got serious once more before continuing, "There's something else the sea witch made him agree to in order for the spell to work. He had to give her something important. His best quality or asset. She asked for his mind...well his memories."

Souichi stared blankly at the other blonde for a moment and then took a deep breath, "You mean to tell me that Tomoe went up to the surface to find the love of his life, the spell took effect, and he lost all his memories of said love?" he asked very quietly.

"Pretty much," Isogai nodded; he knew the prince would hate this.

* * *

Tomoe had slept for over twenty-four hours, Kurokawa at his side the entire time. When he awoke he found himself on a small bed in a very strange place. It was a large building, all one very large room. There was the sleeping area he was in, then a large cut-out pool in the floor that allowed those inside access to the sea water. On the other side of the large room was a study area with desks and lights. It was all very odd to the young man. There was a man sitting at one of the desks, reading what looked like a...book? Tomoe thought that's what they were called. He was wearing...Tomoe wasn't sure but it didn't look right. He should have been able to see the man's chest. There seemed to be something very familiar about the man but he couldn't put his finger on what it was.

The older brunette looked up and smiled in relief when he saw Tomoe awake, "It's about time you woke up, Tomo-chan!" He hurried over to the young man, "How are you feeling?"

"Fine?" the boy said as a question. He wasn't sure about anything at the moment. Nothing was familiar except the man and something wasn't quite right about him. The thought didn't hang around long enough for him to figure out. He shifted around on the bed and groaned. He hurt. From the waist down it felt like his body was on fire.

The older man looked puzzled and then his face cleared as he understood, "Here let me help you, Tomoe." He bent down and gently lifted the younger man out of his nest of covers to bring him over to the pool. He walked straight into the water and set Tomoe onto a bench that had been built in for this purpose. The relief was almost instantaneous. Tomoe sighed in relief. It felt heavenly.

He looked over at the older brunette. "Where am I?" he asked.

"This place is owned by my benefactor. His name is Tetsuhiro Morinaga and he's a very kind man. He took me in and protected me when I had no where else to go. I owe him my life," he ended very simply and smiled at his fiancee. "How did you get here and when did you acquire legs?" he finally asked.

Tomoe looked very confused, "I'm not sure what you mean. Legs? Haven't I always had them? You seem to know me, but I don't know who you are. You called me Tomoe...is that my name?" The longer he spoke, the more agitated he became, he was almost frantic by the time he finished and Kurokawa's eyes had widened to saucer size.

"Y-you don't know your name?" the other shook his head. "Where you're from?" another head shake. "And you don't know who I...am?" the boy looked sad at how upset the older man was and slowly shook his head 'no.'

* * *

"What was he thinking?" Souichi asked again as the two blondes hurried to the King's chambers. They had to report Isogai's findings to Souichi's father. Soujin needed to be informed. He had to know what his younger son had done and decide what to do about it.

Isogai had an idea to bring resolution to the whole matter. He was convinced that Tomoe was on the right track when it came to Kurokawa. 'He may have gone about it the wrong way but still...' he thought. He'd studied the old hag's notes and understood the spell she'd performed and what it entailed. It wasn't pretty or nice but if the criteria were met, it would be successful; especially now that she could no longer interfere. That meant that Tomoe was, for all intents and purposes a human and he had amnesia. If he knew Tomoe, the boy had set things up for Kurokawa to find him so Isogai was pretty sure the current second in line to the throne was safe. Now all he had to do was convince the other two to agree with his plan.

Once they reached the King's private study they knocked and waited for permission to enter. The King answered their knock and when they opened the door, they were met with a cloud of purple. "Dad, what are you doing now?" Souichi coughed as he tried to get out of the blinding cloud.

"It was just a little experiment, Son; that's all," his father replied with an innocent expression. The other two men sighed and gestured for the older man to join them in a relatively clear part of the room. They briefly explained why Tomoe was absent and what they'd discovered from the sea witch's cave. Soujin was very concerned as he asked, "What do you two propose we do?"

"We need to bring Tomoe back," Souichi began but was interrupted by Isogai.

"**And** we need to determine if he was correct and Mitsugu is still alive. I have an idea how to accomplish this but I'll need Souichi-sama's agreement," he still wasn't sure how to convince the cranky prince.

"Anything to get Tomoe ba-wha-what do you mean my agreement?" the blonde began to splutter. He knew he wouldn't like this.

"You have a plan Isogai-chan?" the king made it more of a statement than a question. When the older blonde nodded, the king stated, "Do whatever is necessary to bring my son back and if Kurokawa-sama is there, bring him back too. Souichi will do whatever you deem necessary to accomplish this." When Souichi looked like he wanted to argue, his father continued, "Do I make myself clear?" His son reluctantly nodded and the two bowed their way out of the king's study.

Once they made it back to Souichi's chambers the younger blonde asked resignedly, "Ok, fine. What do you want me to do?" Isogai regained his impish look.

"Not much Sou-kun. I just want you to go to the town above the sea, break the spell, and bring them back."

"What!?" the younger blonde stared.

* * *

Souichi was swimming around the nearby reef when his father finally found him. He'd absolutely refused to become one of those humans even if it meant bringing his brother home. He hated them. They'd robbed his family of the one person that mattered the most. He couldn't do it...he just couldn't. Soujin watched him for a bit before his son finally noticed him.

"Dad you can't make me do it! You know how I feel about them and you know why," he began but his father waved him silent.

"I do know and I have always understood. I agreed with you in the beginning; encouraged it even," he frowned. He knew what he was about to do would change everything for them all and he hoped it was the right thing. "I have something here for you to read. It's from your mother," he held up what looked like a rolled parchment. His wife was quite successful with certain types of magic and preventing paper from disintegrating in salt water was one of her specialties. "She wanted me to give it to you when you turned eighteen, I have scrolls for both your brother and sister as well. She wrote these when you were little and left them in my care when she died. I was so angry and hurt over her death that I wanted to destroy them...but I couldn't. They were gifts to you children and although, in my grief, I didn't want you to read them I still couldn't get rid of them."

Souichi reached out for the scroll a little hesitantly and unrolled it, his eyes widening.

**My Beloved Son,**

**If you are reading this, it means that I am no longer with you. I had hoped you would never have need of this scroll, that I would be able to tell you this story myself. I am sorry that that obviously wasn't the case.**

**Once upon a time (isn't that how all fairy tales begin?) there was a young Ningyo noble named Soujin. When he reached his majority, his family decided to send him on what was dubbed the 'Grand Tour.' This was an ancient custom among the nobility at the time. When the child grew up and turned twenty-one they would undergo a ceremony that would turn them human. They would then leave the water to walk the world and learn about the land dwellers customs.**

**Soujin was a good son and was excited to see a bit more of the world so he became human willingly. Everything was set up for him in the town he was designated to enter. He had a small wardrobe and adequate money to get started. He was a dedicated and serious young man and was more than willing to work for what he needed to survive the length of the tour.**

**A couple of months later he had entered a moderate sized city and met a wealthy business man. His new acquaintance was very impressed with him and eventually invited him home for dinner. That was when he was introduced to the man's four daughters. The man was hoping to marry this new up-and-comer to his eldest but she was already involved with the minister's son (although her father didn't know it at the time). Soujin was also not the kind of man to marry for money with no feelings involved.**

**As the young man got to know the family, the fourth daughter caught his eye. She was a bit of a bookworm, what the humans referred to as a bluestocking. He thought she was the most beautiful girl in either world, passionate and loyal. She was only fifteen at the time and her father wouldn't even consider her marrying until she was at least seventeen. Her father tried to send the young noble away when he caught the two kissing in the garden. The girl wasn't having that and before Soujin was even a mile away from the city she had joined him.**

**It took her awhile to convince him that she was serious and wasn't about to go back home. That was when he told her his secret; that he was a noble son born to Ningyo parents. He explained how it all came about that he was on dry land and although she didn't entirely believe him, she decided to trust him. She convinced him that she loved him enough to give up everything she'd known and join him as his wife. **

**He very reluctantly brought her back to the village where he had begun his adventure and sent word to his parents that he'd found his soul mate. Within Ningyo society it isn't unheard of for girls of fifteen or sixteen to marry so neither he nor his parents had a problem with her age. His parents were more afraid of her becoming homesick and trying o run away, back to her family. They wanted to be sure that this was her true wish and that she wouldn't change her mind. They honestly didn't reckon with her! She met every challenge and succeeded when they thought she'd beg to return home.**

**By the end of the week when Soujin returned to his true form, she joined him as his wife, changed into her new form and went to live in his mansion under the sea. She had three beautiful children that she tried to raise to be open, honest, brave, and kind. **

**I don't know what might have happened to take me from you, Souichi; but I thought it only right that you should know how you came to be and that you are a mix of both worlds...above and below the sea.**

**Your Loving Mother**

* * *

Isogai was pacing outside the palace when Souichi returned. The counselor noticed that the young prince had been crying and he seemed down. When Souichi saw him he gave a halfhearted glare and swam up beside him.

Before Isogai could say anything, the prince spoke, "I knew my parents had a close relationship. That they loved each other to distraction. The only ones who could get in between them were us children. I never understood why though, until today." He sighed and gazed into the distance as he thought back, "I didn't used to hate the humans. In fact I saved one once. He was nothing more than a boy, same as me at the time. I was so proud when my mom found out and praised me so highly. After that every time I knew a ship was in the area I would swim up to watch so if it floundered I would be able to help."

Isogai had never heard all this before so he kept his silence, indicating for the younger blonde to continue. "One day I made a mistake. The ship was a fishing vessel and her crew saw me and recognized me as something different. Mother got worried and came after me. She always had a sixth sense when it came to us kids," he smiled sadly. "She managed to get me free of their nets but they caught her instead. We were finally able to escape but she sustained a very severe injury from a harpoon. I don't know how we made it back home without attracting any sharks, but I got her home to Dad. However it was too late, she'd been hurt too severely and she died a few days later."

By this time he was crying again but didn't seem to notice. "I grew to hate and fear the humans for taking her away from us. Dad felt the same way and encouraged me without either of us even noticing he was doing it. However, deep down inside, I knew they weren't the real culprits. I was the one to blame. It was my fault for being naïve and getting her killed. If only..." here his voice faded out. He couldn't continue. Isogai kept silent as Souichi worked to get himself back under control. He finally concluded, "Maybe it's time I grew up and faced my fears." He turned to the counselor.

"I'm ready now, you can cast that spell. You can make me...human."

* * *

**A/N: I wanted to clarify something for those reading my stories. I love the fact that people actually want to read them! I appreciate any and all respectful comments and reviews offered. You guys don't have to respond to anything read here and I, for one enjoy the feedback! :D I take it as a compliment when readers ask for me to hurry up! You have no idea how giggly I get when I get responses to my work.**

**I can't always post as quickly as some would like. Heck, I can't always post as quickly as I want! However I can guarantee one thing: I don't ever start a story that I won't finish. I will always conclude what I begin. And I'll try to do it in a timely fashion.**

**That being said, I won't rush the writing process either. Sometimes the ideas flow and I have the rough drafts of three chapters down within an hour. And sometimes I don't! There are times when it takes a week to figure out just what the motivation is and another week to write the first page. I won't put out what I consider to be sloppy work. I'd rather wait and be satisfied, then rush it and feel embarrassed. If I rush it through, it's an insult to those who look forward to the next chapter and read it. :-)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 4**

"We...ell, Sou-kun. It's not exactly a spell," the Royal Counselor began. The two began to swim back towards Isogai's study. "It's a potion." Souichi didn't care so he motioned for the other Ningyo to continue. "It's going to take a day or so to make." By this time they had reached his study and he swam over to his desk and picked up two vials.

"I found Tomoe's memories in the witches belongings," he held out a small cobalt blue bottle to show the Crown Prince. "All you'll have to do is get him to drink this vial and the spell will be broken; returning him to his previous form."

Souichi nodded, "What's in the other bottle?" He nodded toward the green vial in the older blonde's hand.

"This is, I believe, a potion that will break whatever spell Kurokawa is under and enable him to return to us."

Souichi sighed, "Do we **have** to?" His voice sounded serious but his eyes gave him away; they were bright with mischief.

"Do you really want to be King?" Isogai asked dryly.

"If he's alive, I'll bring him back," the younger Ningyo promised with a slightly ill look.

Isogai turned away before he began to grin, 'Score!'

* * *

Two days had passed and Souichi was pacing again. He was impatient to get his brother and future brother-in-law back as soon as possible and the counselor was taking forever to finish the damn potion! He tried not to bug the man too much, he knew it would take some time. However, he wanted to get this show on the road. Fortunately, he hadn't been standing idle while he waited. He'd scouted around the shoreline and had spotted where Tomoe was staying. He'd seen him being shown around by a human that actually looked like the true King, and another man who seemed strangely familiar to the blonde. The more he covertly watched the threesome, the more convinced he became that Tomoe might have actually been on to something. Of course this made him even more impatient.

The morning of the third day Isogai found him pacing again outside the castle. "Souichi, I think we're ready!" he sang out and the younger male swam back to him excitedly.

"It's about time!" he answered with his patent glare. "So where's the potion?" he asked impatiently as he looked the counselor up and down.

"In my study; come along. I still have some stuff to tell you," the older blonde motioned him to follow.

Once they reached the room, Isogai made Souichi sit down as he finished his explanations. "First, here are the potions for Tomoe and Mitsugu. Do not get them mixed up!"

"Right, blue for Tomoe and green for Kurokawa," Souichi confirmed he knew which was for which.

"Good. Now before I give you the one meant for you, we have a bit more to discuss. I talked this over with your father and he agrees with me; so hear me out. This potion was created for the user to accomplish something before it breaks. And to bind the potion to the user, they have to give up something of themselves that has value. For instance, Tomoe wanted to find Mitsugu because he loved him and wanted him back. He was willing to give up his memories to accomplish that."

"I won't give up my memories for anyone!" Souichi began to rant but was stopped by the older male.

"That's not what I'm saying. For you it would be something different," he smiled slyly.

"I'm not going to like this...am I?" the prince groaned.

"Probably not, but here's the deal. You need to learn how to accept...maybe even like humans again." He paused until the younger Ningyo stopped sputtering, "And you'll have to accomplish this without your voice."

"Whaaat!?" Souichi screeched.

* * *

When Tetsuhiro arrived at the boarding house where Kurokawa had rooms he found his friend and their newest companion out back in the garden. Tomoe loved the peace well away from the bustle of the wharf and couldn't get enough of the plants and small animals that enjoyed the garden as well.

"Are you two ready to go?" he asked when the other two men looked up. Kurokawa smiled as he helped the younger man to rise.

"I think so Morinaga-kun. Tomoe, are you ready?" he looked down at the younger man who still seemed a bit lost, although he was adapting well enough. He would have flashes of memory but then they'd disappear. It was so disappointing for Tomoe. He smiled a bit sadly and began to rise, only to cringe when he tried to stand.

"We need to get him back to the wharf," Tetsuhiro said in a worried tone. "The pain is getting worse."

"At this rate, I don't think he's going to be able to settle very far away from the sea," Kurokawa agreed.

"It may be taking me awhile to adjust, but I can do it!" Tomoe showed a flash of anger. He was frustrated. These two had tried to help him so much over the last few days and he felt like he was failing them, especially his supposed fiance. He also hated feeling like an invalid. He might not remember much but he knew this was something he had hated in his former life as well.

Shortly after they were settled in the carriage he asked, "Kurokawa-san, if we're from the same place, why are you here?" The oldest of the three looked embarrassed.

"I, uh, did something I shouldn't have. I was curious about a small ship that was anchored close to where we lived. I had been advised to leave it alone, but I went to investigate anyway. About the time I reached it, there was a bright light and something happened to me." He hesitated to tell the young man everything, he didn't want to scare Tomoe and without his memories, his own story would seem insane. Tomoe seemed to sense all this and patted his hand.

"Please tell me everything Kurokawa-san, I know you and I are different from Morinaga-san. I'm not sure how I know, but I do."

Kurokawa hung his head and sighed, "I hope I'm not causing added damage by telling you, but we're Ningyo. Our race lives in the ocean off the coast of what humans call Japan. We have gills that enable us to breathe underwater and tails instead of legs. That's why bathing in the sea water helps with the pain." Tomoe pondered that and then nodded for him to continue.

"It was pure luck that Morinaga-kun was on that vessel and saw me break the water's surface. He brought me on board and gave me a place to stay until we could figure out what happened."

Tetsuhiro spoke up, "When Kurokawa-san broke the water, he was still changing and I recognized him for what he was. The folklore of the Mer, or Ningyo, has fascinated me for a long time; ever since I was a young boy. Having Kurokawa-san here to answer my questions has been wonderful, but he doesn't belong here." He looked over at the younger man, "And neither do you. We need to figure out a way for you both to regain your birthright and go home."

By this time the three had arrived at the wharf and entered their workroom. Tomoe began to strip and quickly slipped into the water as the other two men went over to the study area to begin their research again.

* * *

Souichi watched the three men arrive at the small building. He had already swam inside earlier to see what was in the building and had to admit he was impressed. It was time to take the damn potion and get the two he'd come for to go home. He took a deep breath and swam up until he crested through the water and surfaced. Being a sea creature, he couldn't breathe air for very long, or he'd take the chance of swimming in and not changing. However, given what he'd finally agreed to do, it wasn't feasible. He had about ten minutes once he drank the potion to get into the building before it took effect. Once that happened he wouldn't be able to speak but, thanks to his mother, he would understand what was being said to him and he'd just have to use gestures to make himself understood.

When he was younger he hadn't understood why his mother had wanted to teach him human language but now it made sense and since she'd come from this area, Japanese was what she'd taught him. When Tomoe had gotten to be too much underfoot, he had passed on his mother's teachings so both sons were bilingual. Souichi could even write it if necessary, although he wasn't certain how grammatically correct he was. 'Ok, enough wasting time!' he scolded himself as he pulled out the amber vial that held his potion. He positioned himself so he could swim as quickly as possible into the building and hurriedly gulped down the draught. "Blech!" he gasped and then dove under the water, his tail flashing golden in the sun.

The change began so slowly that he didn't even notice it at first. Then he realized that he was having trouble breathing and his swimming faltered for a moment. He quickly took off again and by the time he felt his lungs were bursting from the need to breathe, his tail began to split in two and he broke the water's surface, gasping. He was in so much pain that it was all he could do to hold onto the wood around the pool area in the building and not slip back into the water. There was dead silence and then he felt strong hands reaching to pull him out of the water and other hands wrapping a blanket around his shivering form.

When he finally looked up, it was straight into the greenest eyes he'd ever seen. The eyes belonged to the other man he'd seen with Tomoe on his scouting trips. Said man looked down at him with wonder and then he gently smiled and whispered, "You came back to me."

Before anything more could be said Kurokawa interrupted, "Sou-kun, what? When? **How**?" Souichi glared and forgot about his changed appearance as he tried to lunge at the idiot standing in front of him and almost fell.

"Whoa," Morinaga chuckled as he caught the waterlogged blonde. "I doubt you'll be steady on your legs right away. Try not to rush it." The soft baritone of the bigger man did something funny to Souichi's insides but he wasn't in the mood to figure out what right now, so he huffed in frustration and sat down on the bed. He looked over at the study area and then looked up and made a writing motion with his hands. Kurokawa got the point and hurried to bring pen and paper over to his future brother-in-law.

Souichi nodded his thanks and began to write. He was writing in Ningyo at the moment so even though the stranger couldn't read what he said, the other two could.

**You idiot! Not only do you disappear but you corrupted my little brother too! Now I've had to come to sort all this shit out. Fuck how did this happen?**

Tomoe looked surprised and the stranger perplexed but Kurokawa blushed, "I don't know Sou-kun. One minute I was fine and the next I was like this."

Souichi frowned and thought before writing again, **Did you do something to piss off the sea witch?**

Kurokawa looked surprised, "A couple weeks before I changed we had gotten into an argument over hunting rights near the reef. You think she had something to do with this?"

**Oh yeah, **the blonde wrote, **she's the one who gave Tomoe the potion to change into a human. It makes sense that she did something to you too.**

Kurokawa glared and for once actually looked like the leader he was, "I'll have to take care of her when I return."

Souichi snorted, **Don't worry about it. She's dead. It looked like the sharks got her.**

The brunette blanched, "Then how will we be changed back?" Souichi waved in a shushing motion and continued writing.

**Isogai came up with some remedies. I have them here.** He dug under the blanket and unhooked a pouch from around his waist. **Tomoe's spell will break when you go back to your original form and decide to return home.**

"What do you think I've been trying to do all this time?" Kurokawa asked with a frown. Souichi smiled and held out the green vial.

**All you have to do is drink this and get ready to go back into the water. I have a vial here for Tomoe if his spell doesn't break from you changing.**

Kurokawa quickly nodded and slipped out of his clothes to sit at the water's edge. He held up the vial and said, "Here goes nothing." Then he threw back his head to drink it down.

The change back happened quickly and before anyone else could do more than blink, he had returned to his original form with a beautiful tail of shimmering greens. "Beautiful," Tetsuhiro murmured as Kurokawa laughed and did a flip at the joy of being himself again.

"Come on Tomo-chan, let's go home," the older man held out his hand to the younger and with a blinding flash of light, Tomoe's azure and gold tail reformed and he slipped into the water to rush at his lover.

"Kurokawa-san! I remember!" he cheered as he practically sailed into the other male's arms. Souichi looked down and the blue vial that had been sitting in his lap was gone. He smiled in joy to see this part of the plan accomplished so easily. Tomoe turned back to him, "Nii-san, let's all go home together!"

Souichi's smile grew a little sad, **I can't Tomoe,** he wrote. **I have a few things to accomplish here first.** He looked up at the silent man standing nearby and changed his writing to Japanese for him to be able to read it. **Now that those two are back to normal, can I stay here for awhile? I have a bit of a...quest to accomplish.**

Tetsuhiro was delighted, "Of course you may. You can either make this place your home, or you can join me at mine as my guest."

Souichi hesitated a second as a delicate blush flowed across the bridge of his nose and then scribbled quickly, **Thank you...?**

"Tetsuhiro."

**Tetsuhiro, then; and I'm Souichi.**

* * *

**A/N: Yea! They finally met. ^^ Now the real fun begins.**


End file.
